Download or Streaming?

[Nekoyama]

My computer teacher gave me a question:
Data transmission into a computer is called?

I answered "Streaming" but he persisted on "Download"

Actually this is unclear because from here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download) the difference of download and streaming is that streaming is used near immediately as it is received & not stored for long term, and in downloading, the data is only usable when it has been received in its entirety. And the additional information isn't in the question.

His reason is that "Streaming is for Videos (multimedia), not data." But when we play online games, open our browser, it's streaming, isn't it?

Thanks in advance, feel free to say that I'm totally wrong.

[SlubbertKing]

Id say that downloading is an umbrellaterm. So in that regard I would say that streaming is a form of downloading. In my book if you move data (bits and bytes) form any server(or the internett) and down on your computer I would say you download it. And even video is made up of data if you break it down. And in regards to games your connection will often be showed as an upload and a download speed hinting to the fact that you are infact downloading data.

[Phil]

Download - as I understand is one way but your computer still communicates to the download source that it's received and asks for more

Streaming is similar to Download (generally used for video/audio files) to allow instant viewing/hearing rather than waiting for the complete download.

Data transmission into a computer is called?
I would answer - digital communication between source(s) and destination(s) in binary code

[BIce]

Technically videos are data... and streaming doesn't necessarily have to be used just for videos it has a different uses, like games. Games can also "stream" data so you have less loading times and things like that. The answer to the question should still be Downloading, but it's not very clear I think...